Heaving-plug.



E. BI NOBLE. HEAVING PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6, 1916.

w 0 6, J M j; M w m Z y if EUGENE E. NOBLE, oE Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

HEAVINGELUG. d

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917. l

Application led August 16, 1916. Serial N o. 115,174.

To all whom t may concer/n Be it known that I, EUGENE B. NOBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Heaving-Plugs, of which the following is a specication. 1

This invention relates to heaving plugs, plugs for stopping wellsagainst the upward flow of objectionable material therein, such as sand. And it is an object of this invention to provide a simple and effective form of plug which may be lowered in a well casing to any desired point and then set at that point in such a manner that the upward flow and pressure will not move it. I

I accomplish this object by providing a plug having slips capable of expansion when the plug is struck downwardly by any suitable heavy object, such as a string of drilling tools. When once the slips are expanded theycannot be contracted by movement of the plug, and the plug is held firmly against movement by the engagement of the slips with the casing. v The details of structure of a preferred form of device embodying my invention, and further objects and accomplishments of my invention are explained and will` be l understood from the following specication,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which, for the purpose of speciication, I illustrate said preferred form.

In these drawings Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of my heaving plug; Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, parts being shown in section on lines 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. Sis a view showing the heaving plug as it is installed in a well; and Fig. 4 is a view taken as indicated by line 4 4 on Fig. 8.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a suitable body of metal, which may be preferably of cast iron or suchmaterial as can be broken up if it is desired to remove I prefer to use three slips for holding the plug in place; although the number of slips 1s not a material point. The three slips 15v are mounted in vertically extending slots or @c ways 16, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 1. The back side lof the slot y16 is provided with upwardly facing teeth `17 to be engaged by downwardly facing teeth 18 on the back edge ofthe slip 15. The slip 15 6.5 has upwardly facing teeth 19 on its outer edge; and in the normal position of the slip the teeth 19 are flush with or just behind the edge surface of the body 10, as is clearly shown in F igs. 1 and 2. 7o

The slips normally occupy the position shown in Fig. 1, near the lower end of the body. For each slip a guide rod 25 is provided to keep the slip in place with its teeth 18 engaging the teeth 17 in the body. This 75 guide rod 25 extends from top to bottom of the body parallel with the back or toothed faceof slot 16. The guide rod is relatively small, and its resiliencyv allows theslip to move upwardly along the teeth 17, the guide 8o rod springing outwardly to allow the teeth 17 and 18 to pass each other. A compression spring 26 is placed under each slip 15 around the rod25, tending to push the slip upwardly. A suitable means for tempo- S5 rarily holding the slips down is shown at 27. This may consist of a shortrod of easily broken material, such as a rod of cast iron small enough to be broken by a shock or jar, yet large enough to normally hold the slip against the action of spring 26. The upper end of body 10 is providedwith a suitable means at 30 to which a small wire,

cord or rope 31 may be attached. This wire,

cord or rope, or the like, is a means of suspending the heaving plug from the lower end of a string of drilling tools 82, or the like. The heaving plug having been suspendedfrom any heavy object, it is lowered into the casing to the point at which it is desired to be set. The string of tools is then allowed to drop quickly onto lthe plug; and the shock is suflicient to break the members 27 and allow the springs 26 to push the slips '15 upwardly. The springs need not be of any greater length than necessary for `merely moving the slips upwardly far enough to first engage the casing. When the vslips 15 are pushed upwardly their teeth 19 engage the inner surface of the casing; and further downward movement of the body ofthe plug thenvcauses further expansion Y of the slips 15 as they slip upwardly in the downwardly, thus preventing the slips from y contracting once they are expanded. The teeth 19 are shaped so as to positively prevent upward movement of the plug against pressure from below; and the engagement'of these teeth with the casing is also suiiicient to prevent the plug from slipping downwardly in the casing after it is once set. The slips are pressed outwardly with such force as to make indentations in the casing, preventing their vertical movement in the casing. The plug being set, it is only necessary to pull upwardly on the string of tools when-the connecting wire or cord 31, orl the member 30, Vwill break; leaving the plug in placevand allowing the string of tools to be withdrawn.

When the plug is firmly in place it cannot be moved upwardly by pressure from below; and it cannot ylose its grip upon the casing on account of the teeth 17 and 18 preventing downward movement of the slips. The plug is thus immovable by the upward pressure of sand or Huid, and it prevents the upward flow of sand into the casing while allowing asu'liicient flow of fluid through the openings 12.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

l. A heaving plug comprising a body having a plurality of vertical slip ways therein, each of said ways being provided with teeth, and slips vertically movable in said ways having teeth coperating with the teeth of the ways and having teeth for engaging a casing.

2. A Vheaving plug comprising a body having a plurality of vertical slip ways therein, the backv wall of each of said ways extending upwardly and outwardly and being provided with upwardly facing teeth,

' ways having teeth on their back faces adapted to engage the upwardly facing teeth of Copies of this patent may b e obtained `for the ways so as to prevent downward movement but allowv upward-movement of the slips, and spring means to move the slips upwardly in the ways.

- 4. A heaving plug comprising a body having a plurality of vertical slip ways therein, the'bacl wall of each of said ways extending upwardly and outwardly and being provided with upwardly facing teeth, slips adapted for vertical movement in said ways having teeth on their back faces adapted to engage the upwardly facing teeth of the ways so as to prevent downward movement but allow upward movement of the slips, spring means to move the slips upwardly in the ways, and breakable means for normally holding the slips down against the upward actionofthe springs. l

5. A heaving plug comprising abody having a plurality of vertical slip ways therein, the back wall of each ofsaid ways extending upwardly and outwardly and being provided with upwardly facing teeth, slips adapted for vertical movement in said ways having teeth on their back faces adapted to engage the upwardly facingteeth of the ways so as to prevent downward movement but allow upward movement of the slips, spring means to move the slips upwardly in the ways, breakable means for normally holding the slips down against the upward action of the springs, and breakable suspension means for the body, so that the body may be lowered into a casing and said means broken by upward pull after the plug has been set in position in the casing.

6. A heaving plug comprising a body having a plurality of vertical slip ways therein, slips vertically movable in said ways, the outer surfaces of said slips being adapted to engage a casing, and ratchet means in the ways to prevent downward movement ofthe slips on the body.

7. A heaving plug comprising a body having a plurality of vertical slip ways with back walls extending yupwardly and outwardly, slips vertically movable in said ways, the outer surfaces of said slips being adapted to engage a casing, Vand ratchet means in the ways to prevent downward movement of the slips on the body.

In witness that l claim the foregoing l have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th 4 day of August, 1916.

ve cents earch, by addressing Vthe Commissioner of atents, Washington, D. C. 

